KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X (AAX) has come out with their version of the story on the claims by a Malaysian couple who were stranded in Melbourne, Australia for five days after the low-cost carrier rescheduled their flight at the last minute.
Its chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the couple had chosen to return to Malaysia last Thursday (Jan 5) after their original returning flight on Jan 2 was cancelled following a bird strike at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).
The couple, he said, was notified of the cancellation via email and SMS on Dec 30, 2022 twice before their original scheduled departure on Jan 2.
He said the airline also attempted to contact the couple the next day using the mobile number provided upon booking. However, he said the couple could not be reached.
"On Dec 30, 2022, the concerned guest contacted our chatbot AVA and when prompted that the booking is eligible for a flight change, the guest selected 'No' and ended the conversation without seeking further assistance to chat with our Live Agent.
"On Jan 2, the guest contacted AVA again before choosing the Service Recovery Options to move their flight to Jan 5 and cancelled the request twice upon earlier flight availability confirmation.
"At this time, our flights before the rescheduled travel date between Jan 3 and 5 were available and operated as scheduled," he explained.
He added that AAX is working closely with the authorities and that the low-cost carrier will provide all available information that may be required to set the record straight.
It was reported that the couple claimed they were stranded for five days in Melbourne after AAX postponed their return flight to Malaysia at the eleventh hour on Jan 2.
The couple took to Twitter to share their predicament, in which, they also tagged Transport Minister Anthony Loke in a series of posting on the social media platform.
They claimed the last-minute postponement forced them to incur additional expenses, to the extent of withdrawing their Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASB) savings.
Meanwhile, Benyamin warned that AAX would not hesitate to take legal action against any parties involved in the dissemination of false or defamatory information in order to protect the integrity of the company.
"While we always welcome constructive feedback to ensure we can improve our services as we strive to deliver a better customer experience, we ask that any and all claims made by the public be substantiated."